Q1
You say this is a revolutionary way of building homes. What makes
it so different from the current method of building houses?
The
walls, roof and first floor are all made in the factory. The advantage is
that you can control the quality to a much higher degree.
Q2
You say that the houses will be of higher quality. What makes them
better than current
UK
housing?
A
greater percentage of the house, including doors and windows, is
manufactured off-site, in the controlled environment of the factory and
therefore not dependent on weather. There is a significant
reduction on brick-laying work on-site, which means there is a reduced
drying out time and less moisture in the finished building when the tenant
moves in.
Q3
Technically what is so
different about these homes?
The
construction of the roof and wall panels is different; all engineering is
in the exterior walls and roof. Since there are no retaining interior
walls, there is much more flexibility of space.
Q4
Are these homes designed to cater for the North East climate?
Yes,
the unique construction method means that the houses are designed to keep
the occupants warm and comfortable in the winter, yet cool and comfortable
in the summer.
Q5
Do the homes comply with current planning and building regulations?
Yes.
All these requirements were thoroughly researched before we committed
ourselves to the product.
Q6
You say you can save time with this method and get people into
their homes more quickly. How much more quickly will homes be built?
The
answer is complex, but put simply, these houses will be built 25% more
quickly than a comparable timber-framed kit.
Q7
You say that these homes
can be built with semi-skilled labour. Are there ramifications on the
quality?
The
industrial process using advanced technology makes for better quality
components than even skilled labour can produce.
Q8
Does the use of semi-skilled labour not undermine the current
construction labour market?
There
is currently an acute shortage of skilled labour so this does not put any
more pressure on the labour market.
Q9
How do you know that tenants will like the houses?
Our
tenants appreciate high quality houses and in that regard there is no
difficulty. Homeowners rate brick-built houses as their top choice and
these precision built brick houses already have an excellent reputation in
Europe
.
Q10
If this system is so good, why are we not already using it in the
U.K.
?
The
Egan report identifies that the industry has been slow to adapt to
off-site construction. This system is common in
Europe
.
Q11
What are the economics behind importing housing from
Europe
?
The
quality of the product is such that we were very keen to conduct the pilot
scheme although there are penalties in the cost and in the exchange rate.
In the long term we need a factory in
Scotland
.
Q12
You say they are more economical to run than current houses. In
what way are they more economical?
In
terms of energy use, these houses are designed to achieve high levels of
energy efficiency. All the components are to a high spec, and we estimate
that the cost of maintenance over the houses’ 100-year life is less than
that of traditionally built houses. For example, we are much more
confident that this type of house will sustain its SAP rating – the
measure of the cost of heating a house – as it’s air-tight
construction means there are no draughts. That means lower heating bills
to the customer.
Q13
How sustainable a building method is this?
There
is little difference in the core components used for these homes, compared
with other forms of housebuilding. However, the way these components are
drawn together does mean there is significant reductions in fuel usage on
transporting materials to and from site.
Longevity is 100-years plus, and the houses are adaptable to
people’s changing needs, which make them good for rural and urban
societies alike. There is virtually no waste in production, in comparison
with timber kits, where the wasteage can be high. Running costs are
low and they are wholly recyclable?
Q14
How much do they cost?
This
is a pilot project, so initial capital cost is only part of the rationale.
Each 4 apartment house is costing around
£100,000. Using the traditional housebuilding methodology an
equivalent house would cost about £80,000, so if we discount the 100 year
longevity, these homes appear to be 20% more expensive at this stage.
There are two reasons for this: the cost of transport from
Holland
, and the fact that we are using an unfamiliar technology. In the long
term the houses will become cheaper, as the technology is utilised in the
UK
. It should be borne in mind that the first timber-framed kits were very
expensive. However, when you do the “whole life costing” assessment
and the ability of the product to require less maintenance over a longer
period, that perceived financial imbalance is very soon eroded.
Q15
Are there any other advantages associated with the use of this
method of house building?
These
houses are:
*
quicker to build
* not
dependent on the weather
* more
fire-resistant
*
draught-free
*
incredibly adaptable
* quiet
to live in
*
more durable than timber kits
Q16
What happens if there is a defect in these homes?
There
are fewer defects in these houses than in traditionally built houses,
because of the quality control – any defect is detected in the factory.
Once they are on-site, any problem is minor and easily rectified. They are
then checked on assembly.
Q17:
How easily can these homes be adapted in the future?
Adaptability
is one of the great benefits. The ground floors are designed for
wheelchair use and there is a toilet and sleeping accommodation there. The
internal partitions can all be removed and relocated for maximum
flexibility. Theoretically, the house can be unbolted and moved anywhere.
Q18:
You are building semi-detached homes here; can the system cater for
flats and/or individual homes?
They
are ideal as flats or individual homes because of their structural
strength, and the fact that they are more fire-resisitant.
Q19
What response do you think you will get from private lenders for
this type of housing?
The
response has been good. The quality of the product has impressed lenders.
Q20
What has been the industry’s response to this new approach?
There
is wide acceptance at a political and industry level that there needs to
be a step change in the way housing is delivered. The whole purpose of the
pilot is to promote more modern methods of construction and to play a part
in delivering that change. This initiative will highlight the strength of
this technology for the construction industry and the general public.
The entire process is safer. On site, the building envelope goes up
quickly and allows other fitting-out work to continue under cover more
quickly.
Q21
Will you be building more of these homes?
Yes,
we are interested in building on unencumbered sites, where the technology
can be utilised to its optimum. In this instance we were using an existing
site, and planning was already in place. The
building process involved can easily
be adapted for both standard as well as bespoke designs. It is hugely
flexible.
Q22
Why has this particular area been chosen for the pilot?
The
site was a “planning gain” site in a rural area. We believe that the
technology lends itself well to providing small scale housing developments
in rural area as well as large scale developments. Building small scale
developments in rural areas can be expensive with difficulty in accessing
economies of scale. If we can design a a few house types which suit the
vernacular architecture of an area we can buy in bulk with the actual
houses being built in different villages.
Q23
How have/how will, the tenants be selected?
Three
of the houses will be allocated to applicants from the Council’s waiting
list. The other two will have been allocated directly by Tenants First. To
ensure equality of access Tenants First placed an advert in the local
press inviting people to apply. We received
over ten applications for each house.
Q24
How is the pilot funded?
The
pilot is being funded jointly by
Communities Scotland and Tenants First. Communities
Scotland
is contributing Housing Association Grant using its standard benchmarks.
Tenants First is meeting the “normal “ contribution to a Housing
Association Grant funded scheme and the additional construction costs.
Q25
How are the homes being transported?
They
are being transported by specialist lorries
by road and ferry.
Q26
How will they be erected?
Tenants
First has entered into a partnering contract with Mansell. Mansell have
worked alongside the professional team retained by Tenants First to ensure
they understand the technology.
An
adviser from the Dutch factories will be on site for the erection of the
first house as an aid for the builders.
Q27
Residents of the estate where the houses will be built claim they were
under the impression that the houses would be for sale and not for rent.
Can you clear up this misunderstanding?
The
confusion appears to have arisen from the assumption that the affordable
houses were to be for sale. In fact in planning law is tenure neutral and
the phrase therefore refers to both rental and sale.
Ballater
is a pressured market for affordable rented housing. This is partly
because of its attraction as a location for both holiday and retirement
homes. Local people can find it difficult to compete with the financial
firepower of incoming residents.
As
a result Aberdeenshire Council insisted that the houses be made available
for rent.
Q28
How will the homes appear in comparison to the others on the estate?
Tenants
First are bound by the
planning consent for the whole estate. The new houses will therefore match
the appearance of the existing houses. This means that despite the houses
being fully finished in brick they will be harled after they are erected
to comply with the planning consent.
